Booker focuses on state races for now

By Bobby Cervantes

02/17/13 11:16 AM EST

Newark Mayor Cory Booker said Sunday he'll focus on this year's state-level elections in New Jersey before he turns his sights to his own Senate bid.

"That clearly is a job I'm interested in," the Democratic mayor said on CBS's "Face the Nation." "We did what we had to do by law to file the federal account. I'll spend the coming months exploring that. But right now, we have one election in New Jersey, which is our statewide gubernatorial and legislative elections."

Last week, the Garden State's senior senator, Democrat Frank Lautenberg, said he will not seek reelection in 2014.

"Next year, the election for Senate will take care of itself," Booker said. "Again, I hope to be one of those people that the residents of New Jersey will consider giving the honor of fighting for them on the federal level."